New city. Who this?

The cost of living in California has many people on the move to new cities and new adventures. What are some of the resources you can use to get familiar with your future home?

CHIC (Pearl)

The first thing you can do before you pack a single box is check an online travel guide like Tripadvisor, lonely planet, or TimeOut. These sites are full of tips and insights for travelers, and that’s exactly what you are! You’re just staying a little longer. Speaking of which, you can check local government websites in your new city to learn about population demographics and public services like schools, transportation, and safety. It’s also a good idea to understand the city’s governance.

GEEK (Kevin)

If you’re moving to save money, you’d be wise to crunch the numbers and make sure your new city fits your current budget! You can use websites like Numbeo or Expatistan to get an estimate of the cost of living in cities you’re considering, including the current price of goods and services. Another great resource is local news. Reading the city newspaper or browsing local news websites can help you get a sense of the big issues and challenges you might face after your move.

Blame Canada!

According to the numbers, foreign nationals account for more than 2% of home purchases in America each year. But did you know more than 50% of these “foreign” buyers are recent immigrants or non-immigrant visa holders who live right here in the U.S.? And did you know 10% of them are Canadians (third-highest of any nation)? Check the stats to learn more!

Want to SAVE on your student loans?

This week, the Education Department launched the beta website for SAVE, or Saving on a Valuable Education, a new student loan repayment program that could drop monthly payments for one million borrowers to as low as $0. Want to find out if you’re eligible? Use the website calculator today. And learn more from the Sacramento Bee.

Foreclosures on the rise

For the second year in a row, foreclosures are up across the country, and the trend has a lot of folks remembering the Great Recession. But we’re still nowhere near the levels we saw when that bubble burst. About 25 of every 100,000 homes in America had a distressed property or foreclosure filing in June, which is about 15 times lower than during the recession.

And the pain isn’t spread equally. The highest rates of foreclosure can be found in small to mid-sized metro areas like Modesto, which checks in at number ten on this list from Realtor.com.

So you want to move to Phoenix?

Yesterday, the city of Phoenix, Arizona, experienced its 18th consecutive day with temperatures of 110°F (43.3°C) or higher. That matched a record from 1974, which is likely to fall today if the city hits the projected high of 115°F.

Meanwhile, according to the National Weather Service, the Monday morning LOW in Phoenix was 95°F, the 8th straight day with an overnight low of at least 90°F. Get more numbers from Axios.